CoE Assembly Chair Cavusoglu to EuroFora on EU Neighbouring Countries' Democracy link

    CoE Parliamentary Assembly's Chairman, Mevlut Cavusoglu, speaking to "EuroFora" at the beginning of an exceptionally important GeoPolitical session in Strasbourg's PanEuropean body, headed by Norwegian SG Jagland, including Ukraine's new President Yanukovich, Russian Foreign Minister  Lavrov, Swiss' Foreign Minister Calmy-Rey, etc., stressed his "hope" to advance towards extending a "Democracy" link to all EU Neighbouring Countries.

    He made it clear that such moves concern the "Partnership forr Democracy Program", which is co-funded by the EU and CoE, for 3rd Countries around the EU, spreading from Asia to the Southern Mediterranean, until the Middle East, etc.

    - On the "Partnership for Democracy" are already involved "Kazakstan, Morroco, Algeria, Tynesia, and Palestine, because they are interested in this", PACE's President replied to an "EuroFora"'s question.

    Asked by "Eurofora" if he intends to develop that joint EU - CoE program "during (his) presidency" (i.e.2010-2011), Cavusoglu carefuly but positively replied : - "I might, I hope".

     - "I already paid a visit to Kazakstan, as I have informed you, and I want to go to Morocco, may be in Autumn, maybe October or November (2010), and in Bukarat"  (Uzbekistan ?), etc., he revealed.    

       Made before the end of February 2010, the "visit to Kazakstan" aimed "to invite it to the '"Democracy for Partnership Program" officially, he confirmed.

    Most former CIS (previously USSR) and Southern Mediterranean Countries are interesting both for Investments, Infrastructures, Trade, etc., and for Oil/Gas Energoy sources.
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      Cavusoglu got CoE Parliamentary Assembly's Top Job for 2 Years (2010-2011) unopposed on January 2010;, after its Standing Committee, meeting in Switzerland last November 2009, decided to skip earlier plans to extend experienced Spanish MEP Luis de Puig's mandate as PACE President for a 3rd Year, and revived a previous deal on "rotating" Chairmanships between Political Groups, giving the turn to the EDG, whose British President, Wilshire, prefered to appoint a Turkish candidate, instead of a Russian one, whose candidacy, back in 2005, had been silently "freezed".

    Turkey has been a PanEuropean CoE Member since the "Cold War" period, (despite a "hard" interval in the 1960ies, mainly after the former Prime Minister Menderes' killing, etc), co-habitating now with Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaidjan and Armenia. The decision to select a Turkish MP for PACE President for the 1st time in CoE's 60 Years long History (1949-2009) was taken shortly after CoE's Assembly adopted last year a Resolution on extending participation to CoE's activities, with a special status, from former CIS' countries such as Kazakstan, etc., to South Mediterranean Countries like Morrocco (whose earlier Candidacy to the EU had been refused by EU Commission in the Past), and Middle East, etc. (This was added to an earlier CoE particularity, to be linked, since 1985/6, even to the USA, Canada, Japan, Mexico, etc).

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However, on Democracy issues,  Cavusoglu had to face today also the denunciation by a Kurdish Journalist of the fact that 2 elected Members of CoE's Congres of Local and Regional Authorities in Turkey, together with a Hundred of other Politicians of the DTP Party, including many Mayors or Regional Councelors, were reportedly arrested, shortly after the Local Elections, a year ago, and many of them are still kept in Prison, even without trial. While "1.300 Children" arrested in demonstrations, usually called "stone throwers", are still jailed, sometimes for 2 years, he added.

    On the first issue, (that of jailed Mayors or Regional Councelors), Cavusoglu simply replied that he was going to "meet today with CLRAE's acting President, (Dr. Jan Micallef), and with the (CLRAE) Rapporteurs who are going to visit Turkey,  to prepare a Report on this issue, as he said.

    After a strage delay since March 2009, now CLRAE can't take decisions before its October 2010 Session, (i.e. only a Month before Turkey takes over CoE's Committee of Ministers' rotating Chair)..

    But its Institutional Committee may adopt that Report on June, as its Chairman, a Liberal British representative earlier said to "EuroFora",  (Comp. "EuroFora"'s relevant previous NewsReport), and it cannot be excluded that this might be eventually used by  the PACE on its June or September next Sessions.

    On the "Children who are stone-throwers, this issue is discussed in the (Turkish) Government and in the Parliament. I expect a Law in the very soon future, and I will be following that situation as well", Cavusoglu promised.
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    But, from a GeoPolitical point of view,  the most topical question about EU Neighbouring Countries is obviously what will be Ukraine's relations with the E.U. after the recent election of its new President, Viktor Yanukovich, who will make his first appearance in a European Organization tomorrow, Tuesday 27 April, at CoE's Assembly in Strasbourg.

    The fact that Ukraine is clearly "a European Country" was officially recognized already during the French 2008 EU Chairmanship, as President Sarkozy had stressed then. But, without excluding anything, the new French Minister for EU Affairs, Pierre Lellouch, observed last week, speaking to Journalists  including "EuroFora", in Strasbourg, (Comp. other Lellouch's statements to "EuroFora", published in a different newstory). that Ukraine "needs Stability", and to focus on strengthening its Economy, for the Time being.     

    However, while French President Sarkozy had notoriously citted only at Russia and Turkey as neighbouring big countries that EU should link closer by establishing Privileged Partnerships creating a larger "common Area of Security and Prosperity", on the contrary, Lellouch, (a notoriously former advocate of Ankara's controversial EU bid), also pointed at Ukraine.

    Other EU politicians, (included new EU Commissioner on Enlargement, Fule), questioned recently by "EuroFora", stressed that "it's for Ukrainians to decide" whether they want to advance towards a candidacy to EU Accession, or if they prefer a kind of "Privileged Partnership", or any other closer, Strategic link to the EU, always playing their natural role as a kind of "Bridge" linking the EU to Russia.

    Naturally, everybody is aware of the fact that it would be a Paradox to keep as "Candidate" Turkey, which is geographically located mainly in Asia, with its own specific Cultural Identity, and still exceptionaly grave Human Rights/Democracy issues, while eventually refusing that to Ukraine, an unquestionably European Country, both Geographicaly and Culturally, with comparatively much more lenient Human Rights/Democracy issues now, and well developed on Education/Scientific Research and Technology matters, (including the famous "Antonov" Airplanes : See "EuroFora"'s earlier NewsReports on that interesting aspect of possible EU - Ukraine cooperation on Avionics).

    Among others, f.ex. on Freedom of Expression and Journalists' murders, Ukraine has already acted in the Gongadje case, by finding, judging and condemning to Jail at least 3 suspects for the Murder, accepting even International Experts' for Investigation, etc., while, on the contrary, Turkey, despite being condemned by ECHR in the case of the Murder of Turkish Cypriot Dissident Journalist Adali,  the same year 2005 as ECHR published its obviously related judgement on the Gongadze case, hasn't yet done anything ,notabe to make an efficient investigation, nor ever found anyone among those responsible for the Journalist's deadly shooting...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
.     But, at the present point, it's for the new elected President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovich, to outline his GeoPolitical View, tomorrow in Strasbourg.